Lathe-chuck.



No. 685,390; Patented Nay. 5, 19m. J. H. WESTCOTT LATHE CHUCK.

(Apylication filed July 12, 1901.)

(No Modem 04 T T ORNE YS.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. WESTOOTT, OF ONEIDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WESTOOTTCHUCK COMPANY, OF ONEIDA, NEIV YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LATHE-CHUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,890, dated November5, 1901. Application filed July 12, 1901. Serial No. 67,957. (No model.)

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. WESTCOTT, of Oneida, in the county ofMadison, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Lathe-Chucks, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to improvements in lathe-chucks in which aplurality of jaws are movable either simultaneously or independently insubstantially radial lines toward and away from the center of the head.

'The object of my invention is to provide means whereby these jaws maybe speedily moved simultaneously in either direction while the head isstill on the mandrel or shaft or in operative position.

A further object is to provide a suitable mechanism connected to saidmeans whereby the jaws may be moved in either direction while the chuckis in operative position at a slow rate of speed, or, in other words,whereby increased power is applied to grip the jaws upon the work. I amaware that a circular rack and pinion have been employed for the purposeof operating the jaws; but I believe myself to be the first to soarrange the pinion and circular rack that a suitable wrench orequivalent device may be applied to the larger gear while the chuck isin its operative position for rotating said larger gear having thescroll thereon, and thereby movingthe jaws more rapidly toward and awayfrom each other than would be possible by operating a circular rack bymeans of the pinion. It will be observed that this feature of myinvention is particularly important owing to the fact that when the jawsare in eitherof their extreme positions and it is desired to move thesame to the other extreme it is simply necessary for the operator toengage the larger gear with a suitable wrench or crank and to rotate thesame, thereby moving the jaws from one extreme to the other with butvery little loss of time. Furthermore, when the jaws are thus movedapproximately to the desired position and it becomes necessary to gripthe work very tightly the operator may then place a suitable wrench orcrank upon the pinion meshing with the larger gear, and therebydraw thejaws into engage ment with the work with as much force or power as maybe desired.

A further object of my invention is to so arrange the spindle of thepinion that a wrench or crank may be readily attached thereto or engagedtherewith either from one of the end faces or from the periphery of thehead or frame of the chuck.

To this end the invention consists in the combination and arrangement ofthe parts of a lathe'chuck, as hereinafter fully described, and pointedout in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an innerface and a top plan view of my improved chuck; and Figs.

3 and 4 are sectional views taken, respectively, on lines 3 3 and cl 4,Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicate cor- 7o responding parts in allthe views.

In the drawings I have shown a head or frame 1 of a lathe-chuck, inwhich are mounted radially-movable jaws 2 and suitable screws 3 formoving the gripping-sections of the jaws independently of each other, itbeing understood that each of these jaws is formed of two sections, onebeing adapted to grip the work and the other being provided withsuitable shoulders for engaging the scroll, the faces of thegripping-section adjacent to the inner section being provided withsuitable screw-threads for engaging the screw 3. This screw 3 of each ofthe jaws is mounted in suitable hearings in the inner section and isprevented from endwise movement relative to the inner section bysuitable shoulders formed thereon, and it is thus apparent that thethreaded screw locks the two sections together and at the same timepermits the gripping-section to be moved relative to the inner sectionand independently thereof. The construction and operation of the jaws isbelieved to be well understood, and it is thought to be unnecessary tofurther illus- 5 trate or describe these features of the chuck,

it being sufficient to say that each of the jaws its outer face formedwith suitable wrenchengaging shoulders, usually consisting of sockets 7,said outer face being exposed through the recess 1 for permitting accessto the scroll-plate by a suitable wrench whenever desired. Thisscroll-plate is provided with peripheral gear-teeth S, meshing with apinion 9, which isarranged in an additional recess 10, extendinginwardly from the outer end face of the head 1 and communicating withthe recess l. This pinion 9 is secured to a suitable spindle 11, whichis journaled in bearings 12, formed in the head or frame 1 and arrangedsubstantially parallel with the axis of the head, said bearings beingextended through the front and rear faces of the head, and the inner endof the spindle 9 is formed with a suitable wrench-engaging shoulder, asan angular socket 13.

In order to permit access to the spindle from the periphery of the heador frame 1, I usually provide said head with a peripheral cut-out 14,alin'ed with the bearings 12 and extending inwardly beyond the same,thereby exposing a' portion 15 of the spindle 11,.

which is usually angular in cross-section for receiving a suitablewrench, a portion of which is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The frame 1 is formed with a substantially central hub 16 of lessdiameter than the diaineter of the recess 4, the said hub extendingthrough and beyond the recess, and its outer end is preferably threadedfor receiving a threaded collar or nut 17, which engages the end facesof the scroll-plate and serves to prevent endwise displacement ordisengagement of the scroll with the shoulders of the jaws, said collarbeing only of sufficient diameter to engage a small portion of the endface of the scroll-plate without concealing the socket 7 or otherwisepreventing engagement of a suitable wrench with said sockets. The pinion9 and its spindle 11 are heldin operative position by a suitable cap'orplate 18, which is held in position by screws 19, en-

gaged with threaded apertures in the head 1, said plate being formedwith a bearing 20,

adapted to receive the adjacent end of the spindle 13 for forming anadditional bearing therefor.

It is apparent from the foregoing description and the accompanyingdrawings that when desired to move the jaws rapidly, as

from one extreme position to the other, without loss of time a suitablewrench (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1) is applied to the sockets 7of the scroll or gear plate 5, whereby said gear or scroll plate may berotated directly, and when the jaws are moved approxi- -mately to thedesired position the wrench 21 is removed and the gear may then berotated by the pinion 9 by applying a wrench either to the socket 13 orto the angular portion 15 of the spindle, thereby permitting theoperator to apply suitable power to force the grippingjaws firmly intoengagement with the work. When desired to remove the scroll-plate, it issimply necessary to remove or unscrew the collar 17, whereupon saidscroll-plate may be .readily withdrawn from the recess 4, and whendesired to remove the pinion 9 and its i spindle the screws 19 areremoved, whereupon ithe plate 18 and pinion 9 may be readily withldrawnthrough the recess 10. V In the practical operation of my improved chuckit will be observed that by enabling the operator to rotate the largergear or scroll plate 5 the jaws of the chuck may be speedily moved fromone position to the other and that by providing the pinion withwrenchengaging portions in different positions, as seen in Fig. 3,either one or the other of said wrench-engaging portions will bealways'ac cessible for the free operation of the wrench 0r crank appliedthereto, it being understood ithat with certain work it would beinconvenient, if not impossible, to apply a wrench or crank to thesocket 13, whereupon a wrench may be readily applied to the angularportion 15, and, on the other hand, it sometimes happens that a wrenchcould not be conveniently operated upon the portion 15, while a suitablecrank might be applied to the socket 13 and freely operated. Thesefeatures are particularly important in the saving of time Qand have beendevised to meet the necessity ;observed through a long experience inthis 'class of work.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood uponreference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings.

Having thus described myinvention, what 1 claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. A chuck comprising a supporting frame having an opening extendingthrough its opposite end faces, radially-movable jaws mounted in theframe, a spindle journaled in the opening and having one end providedwith a wrench or crank engaging portion, a pinion secured to the spindleand a gear mounted in the frame in mesh with the pinion, and providedwith a scroll for actuating the jaws.

2. A chuck comprising a supporting-frame having an opening extendingthrough its opposite end faces, radiallymovable jaws mounted in theframe, a spindle journaled in the opening and having one end providedwith I In witness whereof I have hereunto set my a wrench or crankengaging portion, a pinion hand this 6th day of July, 1901. secured tothe spindle and a gear mounted in a the frame in mesh with the pinionand having 5 one face provided with a scroll for actuating Witnesses:

the jaws and its other face exposed and formed CLARENCE GARSKADDAN, withwrench or crank engaging sockets. ROBT. L. MOT'I.

JA S. H. WESTCOTT.

